


Complicated

by Nicky_Gabriel



Series: Not Bad for... a Human [1]
Category: Aliens (1986)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-25
Updated: 2014-10-25
Packaged: 2018-02-22 13:32:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2509556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nicky_Gabriel/pseuds/Nicky_Gabriel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Newt is sitting on the operating table in the medical lab drinking hot chocolate and since there are just the four of them, the food is no problem anymore, even if they won’t leave orbit anytime soon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Complicated

**Author's Note:**

> Beta-read by Heavenly Bodies. Thank you!  
> All mistakes left are mine.

The world as she knew ended – again – and for Ripley there’s just one thing she’s sure of: There is no future for human kind.

Newt is sitting on the operating table in the medical lab drinking hot chocolate and since there are just the four of them, the food is no problem anymore, even if they won’t leave orbit anytime soon.

Bishop lies on the bed and Ripley can’t take her eyes from his palm. She can’t forget how the queen has ripped him in half. Instead she tries to remember how tightly he held Newt when the air lock opened.

“Ripley?” Bishop’s voice sounds different, as if he really needs the entire chest to speak correctly. To speak like a person.

Artificial person, she remembers how the android corrected Burke. It was Burke who proved artificial in the end.

“Yes?” She looks up.

“Are we returning to Earth or are we waiting for help?” Bishop asks the question she’s been avoiding for hours.

Nonetheless, Ripley is not a quitter and she doesn’t run away from problems. She’s not about to wait for help. Not this time. Unfortunately, Bishop is the Corporation’s property and so is the Sulaco, and that means it’s not over yet.

“I’m not going to wait,” she says firmly. “Last time it cost me almost 60 years of my life.”

“You can’t run this ship alone.”

Ripley turns to look at Hicks, who is sleeping in one of the opened stasis chambers. She does have a pilot license, but the Sulaco is not the Nostromo, nor is it the Narcissus.

“We can fix Bishop,” Newt puts the cup down and slides of the bed. 

Ripley squeezes her shoulder gently. The technology is too complicated for her.

“If you consider her offer, I have specific instructions about the repair process.” Bishop leans on his elbows to look at them. That’s all he can do now anyway.

“Consider?” Ripley frowns. “I am no nano-engineer. And we don’t have any spare parts we could use.”

“They are in the room with crates.” Newt points her finger at the ceiling.

Ripley knows that the child has already checked every corner and ventilation shaft aboard. Ripley couldn’t stop her, but it’s no surprise considering that Newt doesn’t feel safe anywhere. Ripley doesn’t feel safe either.

“Except for the neural network controller, there is a complete set of spare components in the storeroom,” Bishop confirms Newt’s statement.

“Complete?” Ripley frowns.

“I’m the only artificial person onboard,” Bishop explains. “Wayland-Yutani can’t afford to lose a mission just because of my malfunction.”

Newt is looking at her expectantly, but Ripley knows that if she agrees, the girl will have to help her.

“How long?” She makes the decision.

Bishop shrugs. “Shouldn’t take more than a few hours. The regeneration of my hydraulic system will take longer, but I need the shell repaired for the process to start.”

Ripley looks at Newt, who is now holding Bishop’s hand. The android looks slightly confused.

“Good,” Ripley says. Half an hour later they have prepared all the parts required for uniting Bishop’s pieces.

Bishop observes them in silence.

“Can I help?” Newt asks him when Ripley begins removing the now dried hydraulic fluid from Bishop’s bottom halve.

Bishop looks at Ripley, who just nods. Newt observes her for a while – learning how to operate the hand compressor – and then walks back to Bishop and starts to imitate Ripley’s moves. 

“Why people can’t be like you?” she asks when all the wires are cleaned.

“You are more complicated,” Bishop explains. “It’s not hard to break you.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to put you together using the other parts and just fix your head to that?”

That’s where Bishop actually starts laughing. Ripley likes the sound. 

“Yes, it would be easier, but using the original parts will let my neural network adjust much faster.”

“What does that mean?” Newt frowns.

“That means that I will re-learn to walk much faster using my own legs.”

“Oh, I see.”

Ripley puts the compressor back into the box. “Pity, that you can’t fix it yourself,” she says. “Your fingers are more precise than ours.” She hands him the access point to the ships’ console, still remembering the stunt with Hudson.

“I can.” Bishop connects to the Sulaco’s system and runs a scan over his systems.

“How about your behavior inhibitors?” Ripley looks up surprised – synthetic people can’t repair themselves.

Newt frowns, noticing her tone of voice.

“Mr. Burke erased the subprograms from my system before he ordered me to take the living specimens to Earth,” Bishop explains matter-of-factly. 

Ripley leans against the table, suddenly feeling sick. She doesn’t see Bishop anymore, but Ash and the Nostromo crew and the first alien, being thrown out into space. 

“Ripley?” Suddenly Newt is holding her hand and pulling her out form the memories. 

But she can’t ask why. She can’t ask why he did come back for them. Why he hadn’t just left? Why did he save Newt?

She’s not ready to hear the answer.

_Not bad for... a human._

So, she just messes Newt’s hair and pushes the table with the spare parts closer to where Bishop lays, so that the android can reach for them easily. He doesn’t comment on her silence, and starts working on the repairs, while Newt observes as wire after wire the android fixes his ‘insides’.

Ripley sits on the table, where previously Newt was sitting. “Somebody needs to stay awake,” she says finally. “I don’t want us to be intercepted by a ship from Earth. I’m sure they’ve sent a... rescue mission by now.”

“I’ll do it,” Bishop offers, without slowing down and without looking up.

Ripley doesn’t even try to understand how easily it is to agree. So far they managed to keep the monsters away from Earth, because even Bishop knows how dangerous they are. But Ripley doesn’t believe in miracles anymore. One day Wayland-Yutani will have it their way and that will mean the end.

The world has ended – for the second time – and now she is sure of just one thing: There is no hope for human kind, but maybe – just maybe – there might be hope for the four of them.

That thought’s what – a few hours later, after Bishop walked to the bridge on his own legs – lets her fall asleep and dream.


End file.
